Yesterday President Obama took important steps in response to BP's oil spill disaster in the Gulf. He ordered a six-month moratorium on permits for new deepwater drilling, suspended the planned exploration off the coast of Alaska and canceled lease sales in the western Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia. He also took action to change the culture and expectations for the Minerals Management Service and its regulation of the offshore drilling industry.

This is a clear response to the actions that you and many other ocean advocates have taken - thank you for all you've done! Pressure has also been applied by many of our champions in Congress - Senators Boxer, Cantwell, Nelson and Lautenberg, and Representatives Pallone, Holt, Castor, and Markey have all introduced legislation to ban new drilling or to improve Big Oil accountability.

This is not the time to rest, however. The BP Gulf oil spill is now the worst ever, with an estimated 15 to 40 million gallons of oil already spilled. A disaster this big deserves an even bigger response. We must drive a paradigm shift that moves us away from offshore drilling and toward clean energy.

Please act now:

First, write to President Obama to ask him to reestablish the moratorium on new offshore drilling, to lead a strong climate bill to passage and to establish a National Ocean Policy to ensure that all federal agencies take a stewardship view when considering ocean resources.

Thank you for all that you have done to encourage our leaders in Washington to make the right moves in response to the horrible tragedy in the Gulf and to push for a new energy vision for our country. Our work is not yet done - in fact, it is just beginning - but Big Oil is on its heels and momentum for renewable energy is on our side.

For the Oceans,

The Ocean Champions Team

P.S. Help Ocean Champions fight for the oceans by helping to elect strong ocean advocates by making a donation today!